A call for Papers! For the remaining summer and fall, we at ngaexperience.com are
collecting a series of "Best Practices" ideas, in hopes that we might leverage our
combined experiences to grow the art of Nihon Goshin Aikido.

This month I want to focus on growing the number of dojos operated for the purpose
of teaching Nihon Goshin Aikido.

So if you are running a dojo, please take some time to jot us a few lines including
the following thoughts?

#1) Why did you decide to start your own dojo?

#2) Did you seek students or space first?

#3) How did you address mats (generally the most expensive initial purchase)

#4) Was your attempt a solo mission, or did you venture out with a colleague?

#5) What advise would you give someone who was looking ot open a Nihon Gosin Aikido
Dojo?

Other fronts:

Here is an exerpt from article we included to our website about 3 year ago. I think
the information is still relevant to our situation.

In any type of operation, there are a series of things that should be prioritized.
In the army we called them “Priorities of Work” ~ and they could be divided into
all sorts of things: What to do if your weapon misfires, What to do when occupying
a defensive position, What to do when a soldier is wounded, etc.

All these actions were formalized in some Army training manual or another. You just
had to remember them. Still even without a manual, you have formalized all kinds
of things according to priorities. Consider your morning routine. It is also based
around a set of repetitive priorities that make sense. Wake up! Use Bathroom! Wash
Hands! Wash Face! Brush Teeth! Get Dressed! Etc. Get them out of order, and weird
things start happening.

At a recent aikio seminar I attended, controlling uke was obviously paramount and
a theme expressed in varying shades and degrees by all 4 instructors. In one of
the sessions, a karate instructor floated the idea that control could be gained by
inflicting pain with strikes. In other words, “if you inflicted pain in a certain
way, uke would respond in a certain way.” Uke’s anticipated response to pain would
allow nage to “catch up” to the speed of any attacker (even if nage was “old and
slow”) by anticipating where uke would be next. It was an intriguing concept which
got me to thinking about my own priorities of work in the defense. When someone
attacks me, what are my priorities of work?

Background: In our dojo, “move first ~ technique second” is an oft quoted philosophy.
I’m sure something similar is said in your dojo also. Nage has to move, but should
his first movement cause pain, or unbalance?

Unless otherwise stated, the author’s views, musings, and opinions do not necessarily
reflect the attitude of leadership within any of the various Nihon Goshin Aikido
associations, or unaffiliated Nihon Goshin Aikido dojos.